Tom Riddle’s rise into the Dark Lord Voldemort took many actions over a number of years in the Harry Potter movies and books. But what if Bathilda Bagshot was the key player in all this? That’s what a 5000-word extensively researched new fan theory argues. But just how would the author of A History of Magic play such a vital role in Voldemort’s evil plans? Well, Reddit user Obversa argues Bagshot was key in tracing his lineage to Salazar Slytherin, locating the Chamber of Secrets and uncovering the Hogwarts founder’s items for Horcruxes.

In a summary, the theorist wrote: “Due to the enormous difficulty of tracing and documenting one's ancestry, especially to a medieval ancestor like Salazar Slytherin (c. 990 AD), a 16-year-old Tom Riddle must've obviously had some help in doing so.

“Who would know more about wizarding history than the author of A History of Magic and Hogwarts, a History herself, Bathilda Bagshot?

“My theory posits that not only did Riddle approach Bagshot for help, but she did so willingly, if albeit completely ignorant to Riddle's true intent and nature.

“Ergo, Bagshot likely not only helped Riddle prove his descent from Slytherin, and locate the Chamber of Secrets, but also likely even unwittingly helped Riddle track down historical Founders' items – Hufflepuff's Cup, Slytherin's